Soundproof ceiling, wall, partition, and the like



March 27, 1934. w. J. DAVY 1,952,975

SOUNDPROOF CEILING, WALL, PARTITION, AND THE LIKE Filed June 18, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l l i Q? P) 60006500000091000 3 .122221191151395 ooooooooooooooooo 22QQ9322222L2 osooooooooooooooo obooooooooooooooo obooooooooooooooo oboooonoooooooooo 6 J8 fnven/ar /0 lMcl fla. 113

Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOUNDPROOF CEILING, WALL, PARTITION,

AND THE LIKE William James Davy, East Croydon, England 5 Claims.

This invention is concerned with preventing the I reflection of sound waves from the surfaces of ceilings, walls, partitions and the like by the application of sound absorbing means thereto. 5 According to this invention there is provided a method of sound-proofing such, surfaces which comprises applying a soundabsrbing layer or quilt thereto and securing a perforated facing sheet in place over said quilt, at a distance therefrom, to form an air space.

The means for carrying out the method according to the invention may comprise frames or panels adapted to be secured to the ceiling or the like being treated and faced at one side with a per,- forated sheet behind which is disposed, at a distance therefrom, a layer or quilt of a sound-ab sorbent material such as eel grass, slag wool or the like.

In order that the invention may be readily understood some forms of the sound-proofing means according thereto will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Fig. 1 is an under plan view of one end of a panel, constructed according to this invention, as applied to a ceiling, parts of the various layers comprised in the construction being broken away in order that the arrangement thereof may be readily appreciated.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of 30 Fig, 1, to a larger scale.

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4. is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, also to a larger scale.

Fig. 5 is a broken view, in vertical section, of a further construction of the sound-proofing means as applied to a ceiling.

Fig. 6 is an under plan view thereof, some parts being broken away or omitted.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail view, in perspective, of a part of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 isa fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1 showing another construction of ceiling panel.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical section thereof, a larger scale, taken on the line 9--9 of Fig. 8, and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary vertical section of adjacent frames of the construction shown in Fig. 1, illustrating means for bringing them into alignment.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, it will be seen that a sound-absorbing panel or unit is provided which comprises a rectangular frame of 9 skeleton formation having side members 1 and flat strengthening plates or webs 2 secured thereto at the corners.

The sound-absorbent material 3 is held in the frame between a backing sheet 4 of canvas or woven wire and a covering sheet 5 of butter muslin, mosquito, metal or similar netting, being further supported, if desired, by piano or similar wire (not shown) stretched between-the frame members 1 in zig zag fashion.

The covering sheet 5 is secured along its edges in a rabbet or groove 6 formed in the inner surfaces of the frame members 1 which are secured to the ceiling 7 by means of screws 8 passed through apertures 9 in the said frame members 15 nailed or otherwise secured to the stretchers 11.

As shown by Figs. 3 and 4, it is preferred to arrange the nails 16, which secure the battens 15 on the stretchers 11, so that their heads project somewhat from the lower surfaces of the battens to form supports for the perforated sheet metal 10, which is secured to the said battens by further nails 17 or the like and supports a backing of netting 18 at the same time. The perforated sheet may be secured around its edges to the frame members 1 by panel nails 17' (Figs. 1 and 2).

It will be understood that the frames or panels may beof any convenient size and that, insome cases, the absorbent material or quilt would be secured directly to the surface being dealt with and the frame carrying the perforated sheet would then be applied separately.

When it is desired to apply the method of sound-proofing according to this invention to surfaces as a whole without employing panels or units as above described this may be efiected by suitably modifying the constructions embodied in these panels or units as by dispensing with the backing sheet and, in the case of ceilings, allowing the walls or partitions in the room to constitute the frame to which the woven wire, piano wire, perforated sheet or the like may be attached.

An arrangement suitable for large or small areas is illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7and comprises tuted in the example shown by channel members secured back to back, fixed to the ceiling or the like by their upper flanges and spaced apart at suitable distances between centres.

Laths or strips 20 of wood or metal are supported edgewise on the lower flanges of the ribs and notched at their ends, as at 21, to engage said flanges, these ends being bevelled below said notches, as at 22, in order to engage and support wooden fillets 23 of dovetail section below the flanges.

A sound-absorbent quilt 3 is laid over the laths or strips 20, being supported intermediate same by a covering sheet 5 of suitable netting, and a sheet 10 of perforated metal or other suitable material is nailed or screwed to the framing formed by some of the laths or strips 20 and the said fillets 23, supporting as before a sheet of netting 18.

Referring now to Figs. 8 and 9, which illustrate a modified form of the panel or unit according to this invention, the panel or unit comprises a rectangular backing sheet 24 of ply-wood, wooden ribs or battens 25 secured to the backing sheet along the edges thereto to form a shallow tray, a quilt 3 of eel grass or other sound absorbing material packed between the battens 25 and kept in position by a sheet 5 of open mesh fabric, such 8 driven into the ceiling or into plugs secured therein.

In a preferred method of fixing, studs or bosses 27 drilled to take the screws 8 are fixed to the underside of the backing sheet 24. The bores of the studs or bosses are countersunk to within a small margin of the diameters of the studs, as indicated at 28 (Fig. 9), such that the perforated metal 10 may be clamped to the studs 27 by the heads of the screws 8 when these are tightened up,the shanks of the screws being passed through comparatively close-fitting apertures in the perforated sheet 10 into the studs 2'7. In order to render the screw heads less noticeable against the background of the perforated sheet they are either cut across at right angles to the ordinary screw-driver slot or drilled with holes in imitation of the perforated sheet metal. Both of these expedients are illustrated by Fig. 8.

The bosses or studs 27 have sheet metal flanges or base plates 29 which are secured to the backing 24 by screws 30 or other means and are spaced at such distances apart that the frame is held securely to the ceiling by the screws 8 to prevent warping and ensure a perfectly flat surface to the perforated sheet.

In some cases the frame may be of steel or other metal and piano or woven wire may be stretched across the frame to hold the absorbent material in position and may also be employed to prevent sagging of the perforated sheet which, for this purpose, would be spot welded or soldered to the wire at points spaced along the same.

As will be understood, the panels or units ac- 7 cording to the invention are applied to the surfacebeing treated in close juxtaposition with flanged ribs 19 of H or similar section, constitheir lower edges in contact so that there is presented to the eye a uniform expanse of perforated sheet metal.

Owing to inequalities in these surfaces, how ever, it is sometimes found that the perforated sheets do not all lie in the same plane and this has generally required the application of a ground to the surface prior to the application of the panels or units thereto. These grounds are expensive to produce and apply and the present invention therefore provides simple means for ensuring that the perforated sheets of adjacent frames may be disposed in the same plane.

- These means are illustrated in the fragmentary view of Fig. 10 and comprise a split pin 31 passed through a diametral aperture in the shank of each of the screws 8 which are employed for securing the panels or units to the ceiling 7 or the like.

The pins 31 are inserted after the screws 8 have been passed through the frames of the panels or units and are arranged to lie close up against those surfaces of the latter which are to be disposed adjacent the ceiling 7.

It will be seen, therefore, that when the screws 8 are screwed into the ceiling 7 the frames will be carried up into closely spaced relation with the latter, while a slight unscrewing of one or more of the screws will adjust the corresponding frame portion away from the ceiling. Fig. 10 illustrates an uneven portion of a ceiling and shows'the right hand frame adjusted to a position in which its perforated facing is aligned with that of the left hand frame, by the partial unscrewing of the corresponding screw 8.

The facing sheets 10 may be decorated as desired and especially lend themselves to the imitation of tapestry or the like by painting or otherwise treating their surfaces owing to the eflect 115 produced by the perforations therein.

It will readily be understood that various other modifications maybe made in the constructions employed within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a surface to be sound-proofed, of a framing mounted upon said surface and projecting therefrom, a sound-absorbing quilt disposed within said framing, a 125 reticulated support for the quilt extending across the face thereof and secured to the framing, battens secured to the face of the framing outward of the reticulated support, and a closely perforated metal facing sheet secured against 30 said battens and in spaced relation to the reticulated quilt support.

2. The combination with a surface to be sound-proofed, of a plurality of conjoined frames disposed in approximately parallel relation to 135 said surface, sound-proofing material carried by and within said frames, and means securing the frames to the surface, said securing means being adjustable whereby each individual frame may be adjusted outward or inward relative to the surface to compensate for irregularities therein remove including screws passing through the frame and entering said surface, each of said screws having means engaging the inner face of the frame whereby the frame may be shifted outward or inward from said surface as the screws are turned.

4. The combination with a surface to be sound-proofed, of sound-proofing means therefor comprising a plurality of conjoined frames defining panels, a backing for the frames, 9. soundproofing quilt disposed within each frame, an-

outer, closely perforated metal facing sheet secured on each frame and spaced from the quilt, and means for holding the frames, backing members and quilt to the surface to be sound-proofed comprising sleeves bearing against the backing member and projecting outto and supporting the perforated facing sheet, and screws passing through the perforated facing sheet through said sleeves, the backing member and into the surface to be sound-proofed.

5. The combination with a surface to be sound-proofed, of sound-proofing means therefor,

comprising a plurality of conjoined framesdefining panels, a backing for the frames, a soundproofing quilt disposed within each frame, an outer, closely perforated metal facing sheet secured on each frame and spaced from the quilt, means for holding the frames, backing members and quilt to the surface to be sound-proofed comprising sleeves bearing against the backing member, and screws passing through said sleeves and having heads at their outer ends bearing against the sleeves, the screws inward of the backing member having projecting portions bearing against the inner face of the backing member whereby as the screws are turned in one direction, the backing member will be forced inward and in the other direction, the backing member will be forced outward.

. WILLIAM JAMES DAVY. 

